Microwaves – such a great invention within the correct context of its use. They’re good for heating up food, defrosting them, or, if you’re like me, reheating the coffee you made but forgot about while preparing for the day. But there’s one thing that microwaves are not good for – thoroughly cooking food. When heating, they don’t allow the food to be prepared to the best of its potential and the flavors don’t get soaked up in a way that burst in your mouth after every bite. Although they’re great for certain occasions, society has taken the concept of microwaving to a whole new level.

Society has formed the minds of the people into behaving based on the moment. They’re conditioned into desiring everything to be given to them ‘here and now.’ The problem with the ‘here and now’ concept is that most things we strive to get ‘here and now’ have to undergo a process of getting ready and have the best of their potential be brought out, allowing them to have that great sensation of “bursting in your mouth after every bite.”
Let’s take a look at fruit as an example. I’m a lover of mangos and it’s been proven that they’re the best fruit in the world (completely opinionated and disagreed by the editor). But when you eat them, they can quickly transform from being the ‘best fruit in the world’ to feeling like you’re ‘eating a rock’ if consumed unripe. In order for fruits to have the best possible taste, they have to go through a process of ripening and maturing so that they can be ready to eat. If we let society change our thought process and have the ‘here and now’ mentality, then there’ll come a time when the things we try, consume and surround ourselves with stop being pleasing to us. They end up being more of a burden than something to be enjoyed, which is the way God created it to be – enjoyable!
Just like the fruit example, I want to include another one about what the results are of being a part of a microwave society. Let’s say that it’s your birthday and your family or friends made plans to take you out to The Cheesecake Factory – or another sit-in restaurant – for a celebration dinner. You all arrive, sit down, order and are having a lot of fun. Meanwhile, you’re starving and tell your waiter that you do not wish to wait because you want the food ‘here and now.’ The waiter then goes to the kitchen and brings over your food as per your wish. When you look down onto your plate, you’re confused. The last time you went to Cheesecake Factory, your food did not look like how it does right at this moment – hard, uncooked rice with raw meat and frozen vegetables. As you try to dig in, it’s only becoming more difficult to eat after every bite. What was intended to taste professionally cooked by a chef now tastes as if it was taken right out of the package. In the same way, the things we want in life are to be enjoyed as if God cooked it Himself but we tend to want them ‘here and now,’ which ends up giving us a stomach ache and a bad taste toward the very blessing or object we wanted.
I guess what I’m getting at is this – God has sooooo many blessings that He wishes to give us day in and day out, season by season. The moment we choose to be a part of this microwave society is when those blessings don’t seem to be so appealing to us. Just like the fruit and food, the blessings that God has for us cannot be given unless we’re ready in our hearts and with our lives. If God has an amazing, beautiful, caring, loving, and faithful woman for me then I cannot expect God to give her to me if I can’t even treat my mother or the women around me with respect. Or, when it comes to the struggles of society, one cannot expect God to give them the woman who is for them when they’re stuck and addicted to pornography, which causes the individual to have a distorted view toward women as a whole.
As we allow God to put us through the process and mature us into the way we’re meant to be, we’ll begin to see an outpour of blessings from Heaven. In the case of Jesus from Matthew 4, He had to go through a process of 40 days in the wilderness in order to be prepared for the ministry that God had for Him. While in the wilderness and being tempted by Satan, Jesus came across the most difficult temptation of all. We see it in Matthew 4 verses 8 through 10:

“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you, ” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus said to him. “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'”

This was such a strong temptation because Jesus knew that He was brought onto this earth to take back the throne as the ruler of all kingdoms, which is what Satan was offering Him. He knew the suffering that was to come and the painful process that was a part of it. All of the blood, sweat and tears, along with the beatings, torture and suffering He had to endure in order to gain the kingdom back. The only problem was that for Jesus to become ruler of all – according to the plan Satan gave Him – He needed to bow down to Satan which was not going to happen. So Jesus went ahead and chose to be patient and not take part in such a microwave society, resulting in the death and, most importantly, the resurrection of Jesus Christ – an act that gave Him the keys to the kingdom and crowned Him ruler of all through grace and mercy. This causes us to have hope in our lives so that, just as Jesus let the process happen to obtain the goal, we can too (without the unrequired physical torture).
To wrap up, don’t take part in this microwave society that wants things ‘here and now.’ In it, people don’t see the reason to wait for something that can be obtained now. The problem is that when they don’t wait, they don’t get the finished product. In life, Satan will “guarantee” your success for a season but only if you bend your morals and character – keyword: for a season, because it doesn’t last. With Christ, the success and victory is long lasting and eternal. Just like when Jesus was tempted with the throne for that very moment. He knew that it wasn’t the time or the way to gain it. But when He did, the throne became His forever, not just for a season.

“The end result is far greater than the process.”